Details

Subject(s)

• Poverty [Browse]

Series

Policy research working papers. [More in this series]

Summary note

Absolute poverty lines aim to track a fixed poverty standard consistently. There are two main approaches for the construction of absolute poverty lines. The "welfaristic" approach tracks a fixed level of utility, and the "objective" approach tracks a fixed list of achievements. As they yield different poverty comparisons, longstanding debates between their respective proponents take place both at global and national levels. However, these debates only provide informal arguments about their respective theoretical validity. This paper proposes a meta-theory for the consistency properties of absolute poverty lines under heterogeneous prices and heterogeneous preferences. The results identify the sets of consistency properties that fully characterize the poverty lines underpinned by these approaches. Which approach has better consistency properties depends on two aspects of the application for which poverty is monitored.

Source of description

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Language note

English.

Statement on language in description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...